


Trust

by arabellas0



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:28:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28659501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arabellas0/pseuds/arabellas0
Summary: The solar eclipse is over. The invasion troops have been captured by the Fire Nation. Sokka is determined to embark on a solo mission to rescue his father and the others. But one stubborn, dark-haired firebender refuses to let him go alone.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

_"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"_

Zuko lowered the tray he was holding, the two lonely cups of jasmine tea rattling as he set it down on the floor. Sokka glanced up at him and Zuko saw a look of desperation in his eyes that he knew too well.

As he followed Sokka, he glanced back at the group of people sitting around the campfire. Toph said something that made Aang and Katara burst out laughing, and Zuko felt a twinge of happiness in his chest.

If someone had told him a year ago that these were the people he'd come to care about the most, he wouldn't have believed them. He knew that if any of them ever needed anything, he would be there. And Sokka clearly needed someone right now.

"Is everything okay?" Zuko asked once they were out of earshot.

At first, there was nothing but the sound of water running down through the cracked stone. Zuko couldn't help but think about how beautiful the Western Air Temple must have looked before the attacks, but now it was just ruins.

Sokka stopped walking and stared at the ground for a minute before he spoke.

"Not really," he admitted. "Can I ask you a question?"

Zuko felt his chest tighten. "Of course."

"So let's say, _hypothetically_ , someone was captured by the Fire Nation," Sokka bit his lip. "Where would they be taken?"

"Oh," Zuko let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Wait, why are you asking? Who was captured?"

"I said hypothetically!" Sokka winced at Zuko's sudden change in tone.

"Yeah, I heard you," Zuko said dryly. "Good job, that's a big word. So who was captured?"

"You know what I—" Sokka scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why do you need to know everything?"

Zuko sighed, letting his shoulders sag. "Sokka, you can tell me. I know you guys probably still don't trust me, but I'm on your side."

Zuko felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked up, his eyes met Sokka's.

"I do trust you, Zuko."

"You do?" Zuko asked, hating how vulnerable he sounded.

"Duh! Obviously," Sokka teased, breaking out into his signature toothy grin. "I mean why else would I be standing here asking you to help me find my dad?"

Sokka smacked his hand over his mouth.

"What?" Zuko frowned. "Your dad?"

"Okay, yeah," Sokka said quietly. "My dad was captured, along with the rest of our invasion troops."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Sokka," the words sounded foreign coming out of Zuko's mouth, but he meant them.

Sokka nodded. "I just want to know where he is."

Zuko felt a pang of sympathy, but he knew he couldn't tell Sokka where his father was. It would only give him ideas. Dangerous, stupid ideas.

"I can't tell you," Zuko said.

"What?" Sokka's face fell. "Why not?"

It hurt Zuko to see his friend so upset, but he felt a strange need to protect him.

"Trust me," he said. "Knowing will just make you feel worse."

He turned to walk away, but Sokka grabbed him by the sleeve. Zuko faced him again, and this time they were just inches apart. Sokka's eyes were desperate, and he was holding onto the fabric of Zuko's shirt like it was his lifeline.

"Please, Zuko."

"Sokka..."

"I need to know," Sokka's voice cracked. "I need to know what I put him through."

"It wasn't your fault," Zuko whispered gently.

Sokka didn't respond. He let his gaze drop to Zuko's chin, and Zuko could tell that he was deep in thought. He reached up to grab Sokka's hand, which was still twisted up in his shirt, but thought better of it. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

"But," Zuko began again. "If you really want to know, my guess is that he was taken to the Boiling Rock."

Sokka let go of Zuko's sleeve and stepped back.

"What's that?"

"The highest security prison in the entire Fire Nation," Zuko answered darkly. "It's inescapable."

Sokka's eyes widened. "Well, where is it?"

Zuko shook his head. "I can't—"

"Why won't you just tell me?" Sokka shouted. "I thought we were on the same team now!"

"It's not about that..." Zuko trailed off.

"Then what's it about?"

 _It's about keeping you safe,_ Zuko thought. He didn't say that, though.

"Forget it," Zuko hesitated. "You guys actually flew right past the Boiling Rock on your way here. It's in the middle of a volcano between here and the Fire Nation."

Sokka was silent, surprised that Zuko had actually told him. A subtle expression of horror crossed his face at the thought of his father trapped in the middle of a volcano.

"Spirits," he muttered.

"Yeah," Zuko snapped. "So whatever you're thinking about, stop thinking about it."

"I'm not thinking about anything!" Sokka held up his hands in defense. "It just makes me feel better knowing where he is, okay?"

Zuko frowned. He wasn't sure if he believed Sokka, but he didn't feel like pushing him any further tonight. He'd never seen him like this, so upset and defeated.

"Okay," he said slowly. "But if you're planning anything, I swear to Roku I will—"

"Hey, you chattering hog-monkeys!" his threat was interrupted by Toph's shrill voice. "I know you guys are having a moment over there, but we could really use some more fire! It's freezing out here!"

Zuko clamped his mouth shut, feeling his face heat up. He turned back to Sokka, but he was already walking away, towards the fire. Zuko followed him.

"What were you two talking about?" Katara asked as Sokka sat down next to her in the circle.

Zuko stopped shooting flames into the fire pit for a second to glance at Sokka, who was giving him a pleading look.

Zuko shrugged. "Just...guy stuff."

"Hey, I'm a guy!" Aang protested.

He threw his hands up as he said it, immediately spilling hot tea all over his pants. He screamed, causing a chorus of laughter to erupt from the group.

"Do I need to get you a bib?" Katara teased.

"He meant man stuff," Sokka joked, going along with Zuko's lie. "You wouldn't understand, young one."

Aang pouted, which made everyone laugh even harder. Nobody questioned Sokka or Zuko any further, but Zuko couldn't help but wonder if he'd made a mistake by telling Sokka the truth.

____________________

_No matter how hard he tried, Sokka couldn't fall asleep._

He rolled over in his sleeping bag to face the fire pit. The fire had mostly gone out, only a few embers left simmering among the coals.

He thought about his father, and the Fire Nation. He thought about how he had abandoned his troops when they'd needed him most.

And, for some reason, he thought about Zuko. He thought about their conversation earlier, and what he had said about Sokka not trusting him. He also thought about Zuko's reaction when he'd broken down over his father. His words rang in Sokka's head.

_It wasn't your fault._

Sokka sat up in bed. He threw off his sleeping bag and crept past Aang, who was snoring louder than Appa. He grabbed his bag, which he hadn't even bothered to unpack yet, and made his way over to the slumbering beast.

"Hey, buddy," he stroked Appa's snout, shushing him. "You up for a little ride?"

Sokka climbed up Appa's side with little effort. He was lifting himself up over the side of the saddle when he heard a voice from the darkness.

"You are so damn predictable, you know that?"

Sokka stumbled backwards, yelling as he fell to the ground.

"Fucking _Kyoshi,_ Zuko," he swore. "You just gave me a heart attack!"

Zuko climbed down and stood over him. His dark hair hung down in front of his face, but even with that and his scar Sokka could see the dark circles under his eyes. His expression was a strange mixture of anger and concern.

"Good," he snapped, giving Sokka his hand and pulling him to his feet. "Maybe now you'll have to stay here instead of going on this suicide mission."

"It's not a suicide mission, it's a rescue mission," Sokka retorted.

He bent down to pick up a pack of food that had fallen from his bag, but Zuko grabbed it before he could and held it above his head. Zuko was only an inch or so taller than Sokka, but he was still able to hold the food just out of his reach.

"Give it back," Sokka demanded. "Are you crazy?"

"Am _I_ crazy?" Zuko shouted. "You're the one who's trying to infiltrate the most dangerous Fire Nation prison on a flying bison!"

Appa grunted.

"I have to do this," Sokka said. "Just give me the stupid food!"

"You want it?" Zuko taunted. "Come and get it— _ow!_ "

Sokka jumped up and grabbed Zuko's arm, causing him to stumble backwards. He fell flat onto his back, taking Sokka down with him.

Zuko froze as Sokka landed on top of him. For a second, Sokka thought he saw his face flush red. Sokka also froze for a moment, both boys breathing heavily from the struggle. Snapping out of it, he snatched the food from Zuko's hand and pushed himself up off of him. He ran to Appa's side and climbed up before Zuko could stop him.

"You can't do this alone," Zuko slowly rose to his feet, rubbing his wrist.

"Look, I may not be able to firebend, or waterbend, or _whatever_ -bend, but I can still handle myself," Sokka ranted. "I don't need a bender babysitter."

"That's not what I meant," Zuko said. "I know you can fight, Sokka, I just don't think you understand how dangerous this place actually is."

"I _do_ understand," Sokka said, his tone pleading. "But the invasion was my idea, so I have to fix this! I have to regain my honor."

"You want to regain your honor? Trust me, I get it," Zuko turned away, but not before Sokka saw a flash of sadness in his eyes.

Sokka sighed and closed his eyes, gripping the reins of Appa's harness. After a short hesitation, he dismounted and walked back over towards his friend.

"I know you do," Sokka stood in front of him, searching his face. "So you understand more than anyone why I have to do this alone."

"Sokka, I spent so much of my life trying to do things on my own because I thought asking for help made me weak," Zuko turned to face him, but wouldn't meet his eyes. "But it doesn't. It shows that you have the courage to admit when you can't do something."

"But..." Sokka stammered. "I don't want to put you in danger. I can't lose anyone else because of my stupid mistakes."

Zuko knew it would be useless to try and convince him that his father's capture wasn't his fault. He hesitated, trying to come up with another way to convince Sokka to let him come.

"Well, how are you going to get there?" Zuko asked. "Last time I checked, prisons don't have bison daycares."

Sokka tried to stifle his laugh. He had to give it to Zuko, that was a good one. He glanced at Appa, who was snoring peacefully, then back at Zuko.

"Fine. So what's your plan, Fireboy?"

A faint smirk tugged at Zuko's lips.

"How do you feel about war balloons?"

____________________

_"Pretty clouds."_

Zuko glanced over at Sokka, who was staring up at the sky, absently running a gloved hand along the blade of his sword. He looked like he was prepared to use it at any second. Zuko thought about telling him to relax, that he had a plan and he wasn't going to let anything go wrong.

Instead, he said, "Yeah, fluffy."

Sokka started whistling and Zuko went back to shooting flames into the burner. He needed to keep the balloon just above the clouds so that they wouldn't be spotted.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his wrist.

 _"Ah!_ " he hissed, yanking his arm backwards.

Sokka stopped whistling. "You okay?"

"It's my wrist," Zuko said. "I landed on it funny when you...well, when _you_ landed on _me_."

"Oops," Sokka blushed. "Sorry about that."

"Oh, I, uh...it's fine," Zuko stuttered, realizing what he'd said. "I probably would've done the same thing if somebody stole my food."

Sokka laughed nervously. He couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He'd practically thrown himself on top of Zuko trying to get his supplies back.

"It doesn't even hurt that bad," Zuko lied.

He shot another flame into the burner to prove it, but this time the pain was even sharper.

" _Oww,_ " he groaned.

"Okay, I think that's enough heat to keep us floating for a while," Sokka said, standing up. "Can I look at it?"

Zuko hesitated for a second before holding out his arm. Sokka cupped one hand under his wrist, carefully turning it over and prodding it with his fingers. It didn't hurt, but for some reason Zuko felt himself inhale sharply as Sokka ran his thumb along the bony part of his wrist.

"I think it's just sprained," Sokka murmured. "Here, sit down."

Zuko sat reluctantly and watched as Sokka rummaged through his bag, tossing supplies left and right. He wondered how he was always so prepared when he was the most unorganized person Zuko had ever met.

"What are you—?"

"Here it is!" Sokka was holding up something white and round, grinning triumphantly.

"Yay," Zuko said sarcastically. "Toilet paper."

"They're _bandages,_ " Sokka corrected, rolling his eyes. He crouched down in front of Zuko and took his wrist, placing it on top of his knee. "Made from arctic seal blubber."

"Oh. That's... _normal,_ " Zuko winced as Sokka started wrapping the material around his wrist.

"Just shut up and hold still, will you?"

Zuko did as he was told. Sokka's touch was surprisingly gentle, his fingers brushing lightly against Zuko's skin as he pulled the bandage tighter. Zuko had never pictured Sokka as the healing or nurturing type, but his wrist already felt a little better.

"Where'd you learn how to do this?" he asked.

Sokka glanced up at Zuko, then back down at the bandages. For a second, it seemed like he wasn't going to answer.

"When the Fire Nation attacked my village, we didn't have any healers left. Katara was our only waterbender, but she was really young. I had to learn how to wrap a lot of broken bones," Sokka shrugged. "I guess I got pretty good at it."

Zuko felt a pang of guilt. It wasn't as if the raid had been his fault. He was only ten years old when it happened, but he was still ashamed that he'd supported his father for so long after that merciless attack and many others.

"That must've been awful," was all he said.

"Yeah," Sokka replied. "War sucks."

"Well, if there's one thing my father's good at, it's war," Zuko's tone was sheepish, almost like he was trying to apologize to Sokka for his father's actions.

"Yeah, it seems to run in the family."

"Hey!" Zuko pulled his arm out of Sokka's hands. "Not everyone in my family is like that!"

"Woah, careful," Sokka reached out to stop the bandages from unraveling. "I didn't mean it like that. I know _you've_ changed."

"I'm not talking about me," Zuko said quietly, letting Sokka take his wrist again. "I meant my uncle. He was more of a father to me, and I really let him down."

"I think your uncle would be proud of you," Sokka frowned. "It must've been hard to betray your family to come help us."

Zuko was quiet for a moment.

"It wasn't that hard," he admitted.

"Really?" Sokka asked. "You didn't leave behind anyone you cared about?"

"Well, my sister never cared about anything except power," Zuko scoffed. "And my father pretty much disowned me the minute I was born."

A look of sympathy crossed Sokka's face.

"Well, who needs them anyway," he muttered. "You have us now."

The twinge in Zuko's chest returned. He gave Sokka a weak smile.

Sokka finished wrapping the bandages and stepped back to admire his handiwork. "Ta-da!"

"Thanks, Doc," Zuko laughed. "So, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Did you leave behind anyone you cared about?"

"Well, there _was_ this girl from the Northern Water Tribe," Sokka began. "But she turned into the moon."

Zuko didn't know which part to focus on. First, there was the fact that Sokka had been in love before. Zuko had no idea what that felt like, and even less of an idea why he cared if Sokka did. Then, there was this whole concept of _turning into the moon_.

 _What does a person even say to that?_ he thought to himself.

"That's rough, buddy."

_Bingo. Nice job, Zuko. That was definitely a normal, comforting response._

Suddenly, the ship jolted forward, pulling Zuko out of his thoughts. A thick cloud of steam had surrounded them, and they were descending quickly.

"We're going down!" Zuko jumped to his feet and started shooting flames into the burner as fast as he could. "The balloon's not working!"

"The air outside is just as hot as the air inside," Sokka shouted. "So we can't fly!"

"Well, what are we supposed to do?"

The balloon dipped, throwing them both against the side of the ship.

"Crash landing?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Sokka's lungs were burning._

His shoulder throbbed where it had hit the rocks when they were both thrown from the ship. Zuko's legs were scraped and bloody, and his wrist was hurting again. Their war balloon was laying somewhere at the bottom of the volcano.

They'd had to crawl through the narrow vents in order to get inside, and their eyes stung from the hot steam. The storage room that the vents had led them to was equally hot and stuffy, and Sokka felt like he could barely breathe.

But they'd made it. That was all that mattered.

"I hope these disguises work," Sokka muttered from inside the storage room.

"We just need to lay low and find your dad as soon as..."

Zuko trailed off as the door opened and Sokka stepped out. He'd never seen Sokka in Fire Nation clothes before. The dark crimson color complimented his olive skin, making his arctic eyes stand out even more. He was lucky he'd be wearing a helmet, Zuko thought, because those eyes screamed Water Tribe. Sokka was carrying his helmet under his arm, and his dark brown hair hung down loosely around his face.

"...possible," Zuko finished lamely.

"Yeah, I know, I look ridiculous," Sokka grumbled. "This stupid helmet wouldn't fit on my stupid head so I had to take my stupid hair down."

Zuko opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. Suddenly, he heard loud footsteps coming towards them. Sokka jammed his helmet down onto his head just as a stampede of guards ran past the hallway.

"Hey, there's a scuffle in the yard!" one of the guards shouted to them. "Come on!"

Sokka and Zuko glanced at each other before taking off after the mob. When they reached the courtyard they saw a circle of prisoners gathered around something. Sokka immediately began shoving his way to the front, and Zuko followed hesitantly. The person at the center of the circle started yelling.

"I didn't do anything! Leave me alone!"

Zuko's jaw dropped.

The guard snapped his whip.

"Stop right there, Ty Lee!"

Zuko almost couldn't believe his eyes. What was Ty Lee doing here? He couldn't imagine that she would betray his sister, or the Fire Nation for that matter. He'd known Ty Lee since she was six years old, when she and Azula used to play tag in the castle hallways. She was like a little sister to him, and it angered him to see this guard treating her so unfairly.

He took a step forward, but Sokka quickly grabbed his arm.

"We can't blow our cover," he whispered.

Sokka was right. Zuko fell back in line next to him.

"What did I do?" Ty Lee asked the guard.

"You didn't bow down when I walked by," he sneered.

"That's not a prison rule," Ty Lee pouted and crossed her arms, as if she was arguing with her mother and not a powerful Fire Nation guard. "You can't make me!"

As Ty Lee began to walk away, the guard bent a stream of flames at her. She leapt out of the way at the last second and ran at the guard, throwing her body into a front handspring. Sokka and Zuko watched in awe as she stuck her hand out and jabbed the guard in his left shoulder. He tried to firebend again, but nothing happened. His body froze as if he were under a spell and he dropped to his knees.

The courtyard fell silent.

"Bending is prohibited," the guard growled, slowly getting to his feet. "You're going to the cooler! You! Help me take her in."

He was pointing at Zuko, who glanced back at Sokka anxiously.

"Go!" Sokka said under his breath. "Meet me back here in an hour!"

"Now!" the guard bellowed.

He had Ty Lee's arms pinned behind her back and was already walking away. As Zuko caught up with them, he heard Ty Lee continuing to mouth off to the guard.

"That wasn't bending, dummy!" she was saying.

Stop talking, Zuko pleaded with her in his head. You're already in trouble.

"Oh, yeah?" the guard sounded amused. "Then what do you call that little trick you did back there?"

Don't answer, Zuko willed.

"That was the ancient art of chi blocking," Ty Lee said proudly. "But I wouldn't expect an amateur like you to know anything about that."

Agni fucking damn it, Ty Lee.

"What did you just call me, you little brat?" the guard growled. "I think it's time I teach you some respect!"

Zuko watched in horror as he pulled back his whip and aimed it at her.

Before he could strike, Zuko sent a ball of fire hurtling at his back. It knocked him forward and he fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Woah," Ty Lee tilted her head in confusion. "I thought he was your friend."

Zuko lifted up the front of his helmet. "It's me, Ty Lee!"

Ty Lee gasped. "Zuzu!"

"He's an imposter!" the guard shouted from the floor, pointing his finger at Zuko. "Seize him!"

Zuko hadn't even noticed the swarm of guards that had gathered around them. They were on him in seconds. One pinned his arms behind his back while another yanked the helmet off of his head. He watched as two more guards forced Ty Lee into a cooler and slammed the door shut.

Zuko struggled against the guard's grip, but went limp as soon as he saw the man coming around the corner. He immediately knew he was the prison warden from his uniform.

"Well, if it isn't Prince Zuko," the warden drawled. "This should be interesting."

"How do you know who I am?" Zuko demanded.

"I have my ways," the warden smiled wryly. "I also know several criminals in here who would kill to take a shot at the traitor prince who betrayed his people."

Zuko scowled, but his stomach dropped. He knew the warden was right.

"You know," the warden said, walking towards Zuko. "If you tell us where the Avatar is, I might consider keeping this our little secret."

Zuko glared at him in silence.

The warden formed a small flame in his hand and held it just inches away from Zuko's eye. Zuko winced as the fire seared into his skin.

"Tell us where he is!" the warden commanded.

"Never," Zuko spat.

The warden held the flame directly against his scar. Zuko grunted in pain but continued to say nothing.

"He'll come around," the warden grunted eventually, stepping back. "Now get him out of my sight."

"Should we take him to a cell, sir?" asked the guard who was holding Zuko.

"No," the warden boomed. "Send him straight to the cooler."

____________________

_"I can take you to your cell now if you've learned your lesson."_

Zuko stopped shivering and looked up as the door to his cooler opened. He'd know that voice anywhere.

"Sokka?"

"Yeah, yell my name a little louder," Sokka hissed. "I don't think the people in Ba Sing Se quite heard you."

"How'd you know I was in here?" Zuko asked, ignoring his friend's sarcasm.

"Are you kidding?" Sokka chuckled. "The whole prison staff knows that the Prince Zuko tried to sneak into the Boiling Rock."

"Damn," Zuko breathed out, expelling a small blast of fire from his lips before grinning back up at Sokka. "Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Sokka half-smiled, feeling his face heat up slightly underneath his helmet. He wasn't aware that Zuko could firebend out of his mouth as well, but he'd be sure to keep that in mind.

"So, what's our next move?" Zuko asked eagerly.

"Our next move is to get the hell out of here," Sokka said bluntly.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko shook his head in confusion. "What about your dad?"

Sokka sighed, taking off his helmet and holding it under his arm. He looked down at the floor.

"I already asked the other guards," he said sadly. "There are no Water Tribe prisoners here."

Zuko's face fell.

"Are you sure? Well, maybe we can still—"

"No, Zuko," Sokka interrupted. "No more plans. You're in here because of me, and now you could be in real danger if the other prisoners find out who you are."

"They're not gonna find out," Zuko said, although he sounded unsure of it himself.

"Well, I'm not risking it," Sokka said firmly. "And before you say anything else, I already have an escape plan."

Zuko wanted to protest. He wanted to help Sokka, or at least convince him that none of this was his fault. But he could tell that Sokka's mind was made up.

"Okay...fine," Zuko sighed. "What's your idea?"

Sokka reached into his belt and pulled out a wrench.  
"I smuggled this from the storage room."

Zuko raised his eyebrow. "And your plan is to fix their sink and hope they let us go as a thank you?"

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Look, the whole point of these coolers is to keep the prisoners from firebending, right?"

"Yeah."

"So they're completely sealed to keep the cold in, and the heat out," Sokka explained. "It might sound crazy, but I think it would make the perfect boat to get us across the lake!"

"You really think that could work?"

"Yeah," Sokka said. "All we have to do is unscrew these bolts and—"

"Shh!" Zuko hissed suddenly. "Someone's coming!"

He grabbed Sokka by the arm and yanked him into the cooler, slamming the door shut behind them. Sokka made a muffled sound of protest as Zuko pinned him against the wall, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Yeah, we got new arrivals coming in at dawn," a male guard was saying in the hallway.

"Anybody interesting?" asked a female guard.

"Nah, just the usual. Some robbers, couple of traitors, some war prisoners."

"War prisoners!" Zuko took his hand off of Sokka's mouth. "It could be your father."

But Sokka wasn't listening anymore. He was staring straight at Zuko's scar. He suddenly wondered how long Zuko had been locked in the cooler before he'd found him, and what had happened when the guards discovered his real identity.

"What?" Zuko asked when he noticed him staring.

Most of his scar was a faded red color, but one corner of it appeared bright pink, like it had been freshly burned. Without thinking, Sokka reached out to touch it, causing Zuko to wince.

"What did they do to you?" Sokka whispered, gently grazing the scar with his thumb.

"Nothing," Zuko insisted. "Don't worry about it."

Sokka continued to run his finger over the scar, examining it. In the freezing cooler, it was easy for Zuko to notice how warm his hands were. He suddenly became aware of how close he and Sokka were to each other. The cooler was barely big enough for one person, and his body was practically pressed up against Sokka's.

"They burned you, didn't they?" Sokka demanded.

Zuko didn't answer.

"Fucking bastards," Sokka fumed. "They thrive off of making other people fear for their lives."

"That's why we have to wait for the new prisoners to come in," Zuko pleaded, reaching up and placing his hand on Sokka's arm. "Maybe it's not too late for you to rescue your dad!"

Sokka sighed. "I know."

"Isn't this good news?" Zuko asked.

"It would be," Sokka began. "If it weren't for Suki."

Zuko blinked. "Suki?"

"Yeah," Sokka paused, looking almost as if he regretted saying anything. "She's, uh, she's this Kyoshi Warrior girl I met while we were trying to find an earthbending teacher for Aang. She helped us with the invasion, and now she's in here because of me."

"Oh," Zuko pulled away from Sokka's touch. "Is that who you're really here for?"

"No!" Sokka said, confused as to why he felt so defensive all of a sudden. "I mean, I guess she's part of it. I came here to break my dad out, and now I might actually have a chance."

"Well," Zuko bit his lip. "What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know. Is it right for me to risk Suki's safety," he looked at Zuko. "Your safety, just because my dad might show up?"

"It's your call, Sokka," Zuko wouldn't meet his eyes.

Sokka studied his friend's face for any signs of emotion, but found nothing. He didn't understand why he was suddenly acting so distant. A second ago, he was encouraging Sokka to stay and find his dad, but now it seemed like he couldn't care less what happened.

Sokka closed his eyes and pictured the invasion, pictured his dad and Suki's faces as they watched him ride away after the solar eclipse. He pictured Zuko being tortured by the guards for information.

I guess it really is up to me, he thought.

Finally, he opened his eyes.

"Help me get this cooler out."

____________________

_The cooler felt like it weighed one thousand pounds._

Zuko dug his heels into the side of the cliff, leaning back against it with his entire body weight. Sokka was on the other side, doing his best to slow them down before they both went plunging into the boiling hot water.

Zuko glanced down at the shore and saw a girl with short, red hair staring out across the water. Next to her, to Zuko's surprise, stood a shorter girl with one long braid in her hair.

"You got Ty Lee?"

"Of course I did," Sokka grunted. "You didn't think I was just gonna leave her, did you?"

As soon as they saw them, Suki and Ty Lee sprinted up the hill and helped them lower the cooler the rest of the way. It sizzled angrily as it made contact with the water.

"Okay, everyone in," Sokka ordered. "We don't have much time."

Ty Lee jumped swiftly into the cooler, causing it to rock back and forth.

"Woah," she exclaimed. "It's like a little boat!"

"That's the idea," Zuko muttered sarcastically.

Ty Lee stuck her tongue out at him.

Sokka walked over to the rock where he had stashed his clothes and sword. Zuko followed him, watching from a distance as he stared down at the pile of blue material.

"Are you sure you wanna go?" Zuko asked him.

"What choice do I have?" Sokka responded. "My plan failed. Again. I just never know when to quit."

"No, you don't," Zuko agreed. "But that's what makes you who you are."

"I don't get it," Sokka looked up at him. "Are you encouraging or insulting me?"

"I...encouraging?" Zuko scratched the back of his neck. "Listen, I've never seen you quit something because you were afraid you might fail, so why should you start now?"

Woah, he thought. Did my uncle just possess me?

"Hey, is that big scary man coming with us?" Ty Lee asked suddenly.

She was pointing up at a tall, muscular man dressed in prison rags. He was standing at the edge of the courtyard, overlooking the water. It didn't look like he had spotted them, but he was way too close for comfort.

"Can we go now?" Suki asked nervously.

"You guys go," Sokka said firmly. "I'm staying."

Suki stared at him. "Absolutely not."

"Go, it's fine," Sokka placed a hand on her shoulder. "You have to find out where the other Kyoshi Warriors are. They need their leader right now."

Suki still looked reluctant, but Sokka knew that he had convinced her.

"What about me?" Ty Lee asked in a small voice. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"Come back with me," Suki offered. "To the Western Air Temple."

"But, what about Katara? And Aang? And..." Ty Lee shuddered. "What about Toph? She'll make an earth sandwich out of me before I can even say hello!"

"Don't worry," Suki laughed. "I won't let her lay a pebble on you."

There was only one person left.

"Zuko," Sokka started to speak, but was interrupted by a loud, creaking noise from above.

A gondola was making its way over from the opposite side of the volcano. The gondola that may or may not be carrying his father.

"You guys have to go, now!" Sokka shouted. "They're about to lock down the perimeter for the new prisoners!"

Ty Lee grabbed Suki's arm and helped her into the cooler. Sokka started pushing it into the water before he realized that Zuko wasn't getting in.

"What are you doing?" Sokka shouted. "Get in!"

"No," Zuko said. "I'm staying, too."

"Please," Sokka begged. "You have to go. I don't want you to get hurt!"

"I'm not leaving without you, Sokka."

Without waiting for Sokka's reply, Zuko ran over and shoved the other side of the cooler. Suki and Ty Lee crouched down as they floated out into the strong current.

The two boys stood at the edge of the water and watched the cooler float away. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

"We just gave up our only chance of escaping," Sokka said finally. "I hope it wasn't a mistake."

"Well, let's find out," Zuko said, looking up. "Come on!"

Without thinking, he grabbed Sokka's hand and dragged him around to the side of the cliff. There, they would be able to watch the prisoners get off without being spotted.

The gondola screeched to a halt. The door opened and a line of prisoners started to emerge, but Sokka didn't recognize a single face.

Unconsciously, he squeezed Zuko's hand, which he was still holding onto for some reason.

Consciously, Zuko squeezed back.

"Come on, Dad," Sokka said under his breath.

Zuko slowly let go of Sokka's hand, watching anxiously as the last prisoner stepped off of the gondola.

Sokka looked broken. It wasn't his father.

"That's it?" Sokka cried. "No, that can't be it!"

Zuko didn't know what to say.

"Sokka..."

Sokka turned to Zuko and all but collapsed into him. He grabbed a fistful of Zuko's shirt and buried his face in his shoulder. He didn't care how pathetic he probably looked. The weight of his failures had finally become too heavy, and Zuko was the most comforting, most familiar thing to him right now.

Zuko was taken aback for a second, but he quickly reached up and cradled the back of Sokka's head. He wrapped his other arm around the shorter boy's waist and pulled him into his chest.

"What if I never see him again?" Sokka's voice was muffled by Zuko's shirt.

"You can’t think like that," Zuko said softly.

Sokka refused to cry, but Zuko could feel his shaky breaths against his neck. He hoped against hope that Sokka's dad would step off of that gondola. He just wanted to see Sokka happy again. At the very least, he wanted him to be able to feel something other than shame and guilt.

Zuko knew that pain, and he'd have given anything to take it away from Sokka.

"Hey, you! Get off the gondola!"

Zuko's thoughts were interrupted by the booming voice of a guard. He squinted in confusion as the gondola began to shift slightly.

"Sokka, look!"

Sokka lifted his head just as a disgruntled-looking man stepped out into the light. He appeared to be middle-aged, but was very tall and lean. His hair was tied up in a ponytail that closely resembled the one Sokka always wore, except that it was longer and greying.

Sokka's eyes widened.

"Dad?"


	3. Chapter 3

_Zuko really, really hated spiderflies._

It had been less than two hours since Sokka saw his father step off of the gondola. Sneaking back into the Boiling Rock a second time was much easier than the first. Sokka was already wearing the guard uniform, so all he had to do was take Zuko to an empty cell.

Zuko didn't mind the waiting that much. At least his cell was warm, unlike that tiny cooler.

The only thing that was really bothering him was the giant spiderfly in the corner of his cell. It wouldn't stop crawling towards him, and he had resorted to climbing on top of the toilet.

"Hello, Mister Long-Legs," he said nervously. "You just stay right over there, okay?"

"Zuko?" whispered a voice.

"Mister Long-Legs?"

"What?" the voice belonged to Sokka, who he now realized was standing outside of his cell. "Who are you talking to?"

Zuko felt his face heat up. "Uh, no one."

Sokka walked in and took off his helmet, quickly shutting the door behind him.

"Okay, I brought you some food from the lounge. I have bread, apples, some chicken..." Sokka looked up. "Is there a reason you're standing on the toilet?"

Instead of answering, Zuko pointed at the spiderfly, which was now making it's way up the wall.

"No way," Sokka's mouth fell open. "You're scared of _spiderflies_? You can _literally_ firebend! Just shoot it! Y'know, _with fire_."

"But what if I miss and it jumps at me?" Zuko protested. "Then it gets away and tells all the other spiderflies and they attack me in my sleep!"

Sokka stared at him for a few seconds. Then, he burst out laughing.

"Okay, I get it," Zuko rolled his eyes. "It's a stupid fear!"

"Oh, man," Sokka was doubled over, wiping the tears from his eyes. "The powerful firebending prince is scared of spiderflies. I can't wait to tell—"

"No one!" Zuko jabbed his finger at him. "You will tell no one!"

"You wanna bet, Fireboy?"

Zuko groaned. "Can you please just kill it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get it," Sokka dumped the food out onto Zuko's bed, which was just a thin mattress on the floor, and pointed at it. "You, eat."

Zuko's stomach growled. He hadn't even realized how hungry he was. He hopped down from the toilet and sat on the bed, immediately shoving a warm roll of bread into his mouth.

"There you go, little guy," Sokka cooed as he let the bug crawl off of his hand and into the hallway.

Zuko shuddered as he took another bite. Sokka sat down cross-legged on the floor across from him. Zuko held out the piece of bread, offering it to Sokka.

"That's for you," Sokka held up his hands. "I already ate."

"Thank you," Zuko mumbled with his mouth full.

"No problem," Sokka said. "So, I got to talk to my dad a few minutes ago."

"You did? That's great!" Zuko said excitedly. "I bet he was happy to see you."

"Actually, he almost broke my nose at first," Sokka laughed. "I really need to start taking my helmet off before I start talking."

Zuko laughed, unable to control the smile that had crept onto his face.

"Anyways," Sokka continued. "We came up with a way to escape on one of the gondolas."

As Sokka explained the escape plan, which involved taking the warden hostage, he found himself getting distracted again by Zuko's scar. It looked painful, but Zuko didn't seem to mind. Not for the first time, Sokka wondered why he had stayed. After everything that had happened to him, and despite all the danger he was in, why was Zuko still sitting here in front of him?

"That could definitely work," Zuko said once Sokka was finished.

"You think so?" Sokka asked. "I still haven't worked out all the kinks, but hopefully—"

"It's a good plan, Sokka." Zuko assured him.

Sokka felt a twinge in his chest that he couldn't quite explain. It was rare for him to hear those words. Sure, his friends always went along with his crazy plans, but Zuko genuinely seemed to trust him. It made Sokka feel like he was actually a good leader for once.

"Well," Sokka said after a minute. "The good thing is, it doesn't involve any scary spiderflies."

"Shut up," Zuko picked up a chicken leg and threw it at Sokka.

"Hey!" Sokka scolded. "That food is for eating, not for throwing!"

"Tell that to the piece of chicken in your hair," Zuko laughed.

Sokka grabbed a roll of bread and threw it, hitting Zuko in the shoulder.

"Oh, so you want war?" Zuko teased.

Soon, they were chucking food back and forth at each other like children in a cafeteria. Sokka went to throw another roll, but Zuko quickly grabbed both of his wrists and pinned him against the wall.

"Okay, okay! I surrender!" Sokka laughed.

He opened his hand and let the bread fall to the floor, but Zuko didn't let go of his wrists. He let his eyes roam Sokka's face for a second, a smirk tugging at his lips. Sokka felt his heartbeat in his ears, but he ignored it. Then, Zuko playfully shoved him down onto the mattress.

"That's what I thought," Zuko teased, collapsing down next to him.

They sat side by side, backs against the concrete wall, laughing until their sides hurt. Sokka couldn't help but notice the way Zuko's nose wrinkled when he laughed. He'd never noticed it before; it wasn't like laughing was something that Zuko did very often. Eventually, their laughter died down and they sat in comfortable silence until Sokka decided to speak.

"Zuko?"

"Mhm?"

"Thank you for staying."

Zuko turned to look at him, and Sokka took in his messy black hair and honey brown eyes. It was the first time he really noticed how light they were.

"Leaving you here was never an option."

Zuko's voice was barely above a whisper. He still had crumbs all over his shirt. Sokka leaned over to brush them off, but didn't lean back. Their eyes found each other. Zuko chewed nervously on his bottom lip, but made no effort to move away from him.

Suddenly, the sound of a ringing bell pierced the air. The two boys pulled apart as if they had been electrocuted.

Sokka turned away to hide the blush that was now creeping up his neck. Zuko jumped to his feet and went to peer through the small slit in the door.

"You don't think..." Sokka began.

"Get the fugitives and throw them in the cooler!" yelled a far away voice.

"Ty Lee and Suki," Zuko turned around. "They caught them."

____________________

_"Is it hot in here or is it just me?"_

Suki stared blankly at Ty Lee, who was slumped against the side of the cooler. A few strands of frizzy brown hair had escaped her braid and were now plastered to her forehead with sweat.

"We're in the middle of a boiling volcano, Ty Lee," Suki deadpanned.

"I know that," Ty Lee pouted, sinking down even further so that her head rested on the floor of the cooler. Her thin legs stuck straight up in the air.

"That cannot be comfortable," Suki commented, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

"It's actually really good for your knees," Ty Lee chirped. "You should try it."

"I'm good," Suki said, the words coming out snappier than she meant for them to.

"Oh. Okay," Ty Lee's smile faded. "You don't have to."

Suki looked at her, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Sorry," Suki sighed. "I'm just...worried."

Ty Lee didn't have to ask why. She knew how hard it had been for Suki to leave Sokka behind. Ty Lee was worried about Zuko as well. He was like a brother to her, and her current situation meant that they were probably all each other had left of their dysfunctional family.

As for Suki and Sokka, Ty Lee didn't know where they stood. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to know. Even though they'd been imprisoned together for months, Suki had never mentioned anything to her about Sokka. Whatever they were to each other, Suki obviously cared about him.

"Yeah," Ty Lee said after a moment. "Me too."

Suki tried to offer her a reassuring smile. She turned back around and focused her gaze on the shore, which was still a long ways ahead. They drifted in silence for a minute, listening to the bubbling sounds of the lake.

Suddenly, Suki heard a loud buzzing in her ear. A second later, she felt the entire cooler rock from side to side. She whirled around and saw that Ty Lee had jumped to her feet.

"What in Kyoshi's name are you doing?" Suki hissed. "Sit down!"

"There's a scorpion bee in here!" Ty Lee squealed. "Get it away!"

The buzzing sound returned and Ty Lee began swatting wildly at the air. She stumbled backwards, causing the entire cooler to tip dangerously. Hot water splashed over the side, a few drops landing on Ty Lee's leg.

Naturally, she proceeded to scream at the top of her lungs.

Suki dove across the cooler and tackled her, slapping a hand over her mouth. But it was too late. Her scream had alerted every guard within a ten mile radius.

It didn't take long for the guards to reel them in, and at that point there wasn't much that they could do. They were both handcuffed and thrown into separate coolers. The escape plan had failed, miserably.

Eventually, Ty Lee was let out on good behavior. Suki wasn't so lucky. In hindsight, she probably shouldn't have spit in the guard's eye while he was handcuffing her. The swift punch that she'd delivered to his gut would've gotten the message across just fine. Either way, she'd earned herself a few more hours in the cooler.

Sokka was standing on one of the balconies when he finally saw her trudge out into the courtyard. He descended the stairs as quickly as possible without looking suspicious. He approached Suki and stood with his back to her, pretending to keep watch.

"Suki," he hissed through gritted teeth. "Suki!"

Suki looked up. "Sokka?"

"Yeah," Sokka whispered. "Follow me, but try not to make it obvious."

He led her to a corner of the courtyard where his father, Zuko, and Ty Lee were standing.

"There you are," Zuko said. "Are we ready?"

They all nodded, except for Ty Lee, who had her eyes closed and was balancing on one leg. Her palms were clasped together in front of her chest.

"Ty Lee!" Zuko hissed. "Could you please stop finding your chi for two seconds so we can escape?"

Ty Lee frowned and opened her eyes. "Sorry."

"Wait," Suki said. "Ready for what?"

"We're gonna start a riot," Sokka explained in a low voice. "That'll distract the other guards so we can grab the warden."

"Alright," Sokka's father said, clapping his hands together. "Any of you kids know how to start a prison riot?"

Sokka looked to his left at Suki, who raised an eyebrow and shook her head. He turned to the other side and and exchanged a look with Zuko, who just shrugged.

"Hmm," Ty Lee hummed to herself, tapping her chin. "Probably like this."

She walked over to a group of prisoners who were sitting around a table covered in lotus tiles. With zero hesitation, she punched the one closest to her across the face. He looked around wildly before throwing a punch at the prisoner sitting next to him. Within seconds, the entire courtyard had descended into chaos.

Zuko blinked. "I guess that works."

"Great!" Sokka said. "Now all we need to do is grab the warden and get to the gondolas."

"Okay," Suki said slowly. "And how do we do that?"

Sokka bit his lip.

"I'm...not sure."

Suki glared at him. "I thought you thought this through!"

"Y'know, I can see why you would think that, but..."

"You better start brainstorming, ponytail," Suki said menacingly.

"I don't see you coming up with any brilliant ideas!" Sokka snapped.

Zuko groaned, putting his head in his hands.

"This is ridiculous," Suki muttered. "I'll be right back. Just stay here and try not to, like, break your own arms or something."

Before Sokka could come up with a snarky comeback, Suki had disappeared into the mob of prisoners. Effortlessly, she scaled the wall and began dodging guards left and right. She slid across the floor, knocking the last guard's legs out from under him. By the time the others finally caught up to her, she was already using her belt to tie the warden's hands behind his back.

"Sorry, warden," she said smugly. "You're my prisoner, now."

"That's some girl," Sokka's father said.

"Yeah," Sokka and Ty Lee breathed in unison.

Zuko felt a strange lump rise in his throat. He forced it down, returning his focus to the plan.

"Everyone get to the gondolas!" he hollered.

The path to the gondolas was mostly clear, aside from the two guards standing on the platform. As they ran towards them, the guards hurled two streams of fire through the air. Zuko watched in horror as the flames headed straight for Sokka.

"Sokka, look out!"

Zuko threw his body in front of Sokka's, diverting the flames with a flourish of his wrists. Sokka froze, his eyes glued to Zuko as he continued to fend off the attacks like they were nothing.

"Back off," Zuko ordered, standing up straight. "We have the warden."

The guards' arms fell to their sides and they stepped out of the way. Everyone piled into the gondola, except Zuko, who stayed behind to pull the lever. The gondola started to move, but Zuko didn't get on right away.

"What is he doing?" Sokka asked, sounding panicked.

Zuko stood back and kicked the lever as hard as he could. Once. Twice. On the third kick the lever snapped in half. He looked up only to see that the gondola had already moved off of the platform.

For a split second he considered letting it go. The others were safe. They had the warden, so the guards wouldn't dare to cut the line.

Most importantly, although Zuko wouldn't admit it, even to himself, Sokka was safe. He had rescued his father and regained his honor. He was leaving with exactly who he came for, which was Suki.

But then he saw the look on Sokka's face. It was the same look he had given him when he found out that his father might be trapped in the most dangerous Fire Nation prison. The same look he had given Zuko right before collapsing into his arms at the base of the cliff. It was a look of sadness, horror, and desperation.

And so Zuko ran.

He sprinted as fast as he could, and Sokka stretched his arm out of the back of the gondola. Hoping for the best, Zuko jumped. For a split second, he was suspended in midair. Then, he felt Sokka's hand close tightly around his forearm.

Sokka grunted as he pulled Zuko up, holding onto him until he was sure that he was safe inside the gondola.

"Why did you do that?" Sokka demanded immediately.

"I had to make sure they couldn't stop us," Zuko panted.

"You scared the shit out of me." Sokka shook his head. "I thought you weren't gonna make it."

Something in his tone made Zuko's heart skip. Either that, or the way Sokka was looking at him like he was the only person in the world. Zuko held his gaze for a few moments, breathing heavily, unsure of how to respond.

"Uh, guys?"

Everyone turned to look at Ty Lee, who was pointing a shaky finger across the lake. On the platform stood a young girl dressed in royal Fire Nation attire. She wore a shiny, gold clip in her jet-black hair.

"Azula," Suki muttered angrily, walking up behind Ty Lee and placing a hand on the trembling girl's back.

Zuko glared across the lake at his sister, watching as she became nothing more than a speck in the distance. He lifted his chin.

"She's too late."


	4. Chapter 4

_It had been four days since the escape._

On the first day, they woke up in the Western Air Temple with three more people than they had left with. Thanks to Ty Lee, they were able to locate Azula's war balloon, which they'd used to get back.

On the second day, Zuko didn't see much of Sokka, or Katara for that matter. No one did. They were busy making up for the time they'd lost with their father. Zuko wouldn't say he missed Sokka, he just missed his jokes, his laugh, his humor. That was all.

On the third day, Zuko taught Aang some firebending techniques. He pretended not to notice Sokka watching him from the water fountain.

On the fourth day, Azula attacked the temple with three Fire Nation airships.

Zuko tried to hold them off while the others escaped through a tunnel that Toph had made, but Appa refused to go through it. The temple was completely destroyed, and everyone was forced to split up. The others, including Sokka's dad, escaped through the tunnel. The seven of them that were left flew out of the temple on Appa.

Sokka and Katara were without their father once again.

"Where are we going?" Toph asked after they'd been flying for a while.

"I don't know," Aang said honestly. "I was just trying to get us as far away from the Western Air Temple as possible."

"I know where we can go," Zuko said, leaning forward. "Just keep heading south."

With Zuko's instructions, Aang flew them over a strip of beaches lined with palm trees. Huge houses held up on wooden stilts lined the coast.

"Where are we?" Suki asked, gazing at the scenery. "It's beautiful."

"Ember Island," Ty Lee answered with a straight face. "Zuko and I used to come here on vacation with our families."

"That sounds...fun," Suki said, her statement coming out more like a question.

Ty Lee and Zuko shared a knowing look. Ty Lee looked at Suki and forced a smile. Zuko just sighed.

"We can land here," Zuko said suddenly.

He was pointing at one of the biggest houses any of them had ever seen. It had a bright red roof lined with gold and a huge wraparound porch. The entire backyard was sand, which was where Appa landed.

"This place is a mansion!" Sokka exclaimed as he slid off of Appa's back.

"This was my family's beach house," Zuko announced to no one in particular. "We haven't been back here in years."

Zuko's expression made Sokka wish he hadn't said anything.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm zonked," Sokka yawned, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, so there's three bedrooms upstairs, plus the master bedroom downstairs," Zuko explained to the group.

"I call upstairs!" Ty Lee squealed, taking off into the house.

Soon, everyone was taking their own tour of the beach house, deciding where they wanted to sleep. The others all followed Ty Lee up the stairs, leaving Sokka and Zuko with the master bedroom.

It was probably best that they took that room, since it was closest to the front door. That way, they would be able to keep watch in case anyone tried to break in.

At least, that's what Zuko told himself as he pushed open the curtain that led to the bedroom, letting Sokka inside first.

"Oh, thank the spirits," Sokka exclaimed.

He was across the room in two steps, collapsing face-first onto the bed.

"If I keep my eyes open for one more second," Sokka's voice was muffled by pillows. "I think they might fall out of my head."

"Okay then," Zuko chuckled softly. "Goodnight."

He turned to walk out of the room, moving to let the curtain fall back into place behind him. Sokka quickly rolled over onto his back.

"Wait," he called. "Where are you going?"

Zuko turned around.

"I'm gonna go find another mat," he said. "I think there's some upstairs."

Sokka propped himself up on his elbows, his long legs dangling off the end of the bed. He tilted his head, studying Zuko as if he were a confusing map. Zuko felt his face start to heat up under his intense gaze.

"Zuko, don't take this the wrong way," Sokka began. "But you look like you've been dragged through the Spirit World and back."

Zuko stared back at him. "Is there a right way to take that?"

"Dude, you're exhausted," Sokka said, matter-of-factly. "Just sleep here, there's more than enough room."

Zuko glanced at the half of the bed that Sokka was motioning to. This had been his parents bed, after all. A bed fit for a king, of course it was big enough for two people. However, space wasn't Zuko's biggest concern when it came to sharing a bed with Sokka.

On the other hand, Zuko could barely keep his eyes open anymore. He was more than ready to crawl under the covers and knock out.

"Okay," he said slowly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, of course," Sokka said in his usual, upbeat tone. "As long as you don't steal the blankets, cause I will not hesitate to kick you."

Zuko laughed. "Noted."

"Is everyone really going to bed already?"

Zuko, who was still hovering in the doorway, whirled around at the sound of Toph's voice. Her shouting had called everyone out of their rooms.

"Um, yes," Zuko said blankly. "It's the middle of the night."

"So we're just not gonna have dinner?" Toph exclaimed. "Or were you guys just gonna let the blind girl fend for herself over an open flame?"

"Well...uh...I," Zuko stammered, looking back into the room at Sokka for help.

"Um...what are you hungry for?" Sokka appeared behind Zuko, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I say we celebrate by cooking up some of the rice and dumplings that Katara brought!" Toph grinned.

"Celebrate?" Zuko sounded confused. "What are we celebrating?"

"Oh, I don't know," Toph said sarcastically. "How about you saving our asses at the Western Air Temple?"

"That was pretty awesome what you did back there," Aang piped in as he hopped down the stairs.

Suki, Ty Lee, and Sokka all murmured in agreement.

"Oh, uh, thanks guys," Zuko laughed awkwardly. "But I really don't deserve all that."

"You can say that again."

This came from Katara, who was standing on the bottom stair behind Aang. She shoved past everyone and stormed out the front door.

"What's up with her?" Sokka made a face.

Zuko suddenly wasn't tired anymore. He was just angry. He'd had enough of Katara treating him like he didn't belong.

"I don't know," he muttered. "But I'm gonna go find out."

"Is anybody gonna make me food?" he heard Toph whine as he walked out the door.

When he stepped out onto the balcony, he saw Katara leaning against the railing, staring out at the ocean.

"What do you want?" she snapped when she heard him approaching.

"I want to know why you think it's fair to keep treating me like this," Zuko retorted.

"Treating you like what?" Katara demanded.

"Like I'm the enemy!" Zuko shouted. "Everyone else seems to trust me now."

"Oh, everyone trusts you?" Katara sneered. "That's nice."

"Yeah," Zuko said. "Everyone but you."

Katara whirled around. "I was the first person to trust you, remember?"

Zuko paused for a moment. He took a deep breath.

"No," he said firmly. "You weren't."

"Oh, really?" Katara scowled. "Then who was?"

"Your brother."

"What?" Katara blinked. "Sokka?"

"Yes, Sokka," Zuko snapped. "He's the only person here who actually, genuinely trusts me."

"Well, can you blame us?" Katara asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about! I've tried so hard to make it up to you guys, but Sokka's the only one who sees that," Zuko was rambling, but he didn't care. "He's the only one who really believes that I've changed! He forgave me and accepted me when that was all I needed."

"Wow, sounds like you really care about him," Katara jeered.

"I do!" Zuko shouted, before he could stop himself. "Sokka was there for me when no one else was."

Katara just stared at him.

"What the hell happened between you two at the Boiling Rock?" she asked acidly.

"What?" Zuko sputtered. "Nothing!"

Katara was quiet for a moment.

"Well, none of that changes what happened back in Ba Sing Se," she spat. "It doesn't change the fact that you turned around and betrayed us, and it certainly doesn't bring our mother back!"

With that, she shoved past him and disappeared back into the house. Zuko stayed out on the balcony for a while. Katara was right, he had betrayed them, He couldn't blame them for being hesitant to trust him. But what he couldn't figure out was what any of this had to do with her mother.

When he eventually returned to the bedroom that he was sharing with Sokka, all the candles had already been blown out. Sokka was laying on his side, facing the wall. He rolled over when he heard Zuko come in.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey," Zuko replied. "Sorry, were you sleeping?"

"No."

Zuko bit his lip, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden. All of the words he'd said outside raced through his mind.

Did Sokka hear any of that?

He hoped not.

"Oh," Zuko said. "Sorry if we kept you up with all the yelling."

He had to know. He winced in the darkness as he waited for Sokka's reply.

"What? Oh...I didn't hear you," Sokka said after a pause. He sounded disoriented, and Zuko assumed it was probably because he was half-asleep.

"Oh, okay. Good."

Zuko trudged across the room and plopped down onto his side of the bed, not even bothering to get under the covers. Although he was exhausted, he found himself staring up at the ceiling, unable to close his eyes.

"Did you find out what Katara's deal was?"

Apparently, Sokka couldn't sleep, either.

"Um, not really," Zuko answered. "She did say something about your mom, though."

Sokka didn't respond at first, and Zuko wanted to kick himself. Of all things, he was sure Sokka didn't want to talk about his dead mother right now. Especially not after his family had been split up again.

"Oh," was all he said.

"Sorry," Zuko said quickly. "I know that's probably the last thing you want to think about right now."

"No, it's fine," Sokka turned over and faced him, propping his head up on his elbow. "Katara talks about her a lot. I think it's her way of coping."

"Yeah."

"For me, it's just not a day I like to remember," Sokka said.

Zuko rolled over onto his side, facing him while keeping a good distance between them.

"I know your mom would be proud of you guys," he said.

Sokka smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Pale blue moonlight was shining through the window behind Zuko, illuminating Sokka's figure in the dark. His face was cast in shadows, his expression unreadable.

"Thanks," Sokka said, sounding like he meant it. "Someday I'll tell you about the raid."

"You don't have to..."

"I want to," Sokka said quietly. "Just...not tonight."

"Of course," Zuko rolled onto his back again. "You still have all your fingers, so I'm guessing you fed Toph?"

"Yeah," Sokka laughed. "I just gave her the rest of my seal jerky so she would shut up."

"How selfless of you."

"I try."

Silence fell over the pitch black room.

"This has been the longest day ever in the history of days," Sokka blurted after a few seconds. "Ever."

Zuko chuckled. "Go to sleep, Sokka."

"You go to sleep."

"I am," Zuko replied. "Goodnight, Boomerang."

"Goodnight, Fireboy."


	5. Chapter 5

_Sokka had lied to Zuko._

Their room wasn't actually that far from the balcony.

He heard every word Zuko said.

He heard him when he said that Sokka was the only person who really trusted him. He heard him when he admitted how much he cared about him.

And he heard him when he denied that anything had happened between them at the Boiling Rock.

Half of him wanted to confront Zuko. Did he honestly think that what had happened back there was nothing? Sokka couldn't have been imagining it all. The stolen glances, the hands brushing against each other, the look in Zuko's eyes when he pulled him into the gondola. The way his breath got caught in his throat whenever Zuko was close to him.

The other half of him knew he couldn't say any of that.

He woke up the next morning to a pounding headache and an empty room. Groaning, he rolled out of bed and decided to go see what the others were up to.

He didn't have to walk very far. When he reached the foyer, he found Zuko standing in the middle of the room, looking like a lost puppy.

Sokka knew something was wrong when he realized that Zuko was still in the clothes that he wore to bed. Usually, Zuko was up, dressed, and ready to run a whole marathon before Sokka could even open his eyes. He whirled around as Sokka entered.

"Toph and Katara are gone."

Sokka squinted against the bright morning light, taking in the disheveled-looking Zuko. His dark hair stuck out in different directions, and the silk robe he wore to bed had slipped open at the top.

Sokka glanced down at his bare chest, then quickly back up. He snapped out of it when he finally processed what Zuko had said.

"Gone?" Sokka blinked. "What do you mean _gone_? Where did they go?"

"Where did who go?"

Suki was coming down the stairs, rubbing her eyes. Ty Lee followed close behind her, clutching a fuzzy, red blanket in her arms.

"Toph and Katara," Zuko repeated. "They're not here. I've looked everywhere."

"Maybe they just went to get more food," Suki suggested. "I think Toph was going to commit murder if she went one more second without eating."

"Yeah," Ty Lee agreed. "There's a little market a few blocks away."

"No," Zuko shook his head. "They wouldn't have taken Appa if they were just going into town."

"They took Appa?"

Everyone whirled around to see Aang standing at the top of the stairs. He looked angry enough to enter the Avatar State right then and there.

"Unless giant flying bison can turn invisible," Sokka said, looking out the window.

"Why would they take Appa without asking me?" Aang fumed. "What could be so important?"

"I have no idea," Zuko said. "They didn't leave a note or anything."

"Well, there's gotta be something here that can tell us where they went," Sokka said. "I say we split up and look."

Everyone agreed, mostly because nobody had any better ideas. Sokka opted to start with the room where Toph and Katara had both slept. When he reached the top of the stairs he was met with one long, seemingly endless hallway.

"How many rooms does this place have?" he muttered to himself.

Most of the rooms in the house had red and gold curtains hanging in the doorway. As Sokka walked down the hallway, he noticed that one of the rooms at the end of the hallway had a tall, wooden door that was slightly ajar.

He approached the door and pushed it open the rest of the way, slowly stepping into the dimly lit room. It was set up like an office. Bookshelves and filing cabinets lined the walls, and there was a wooden desk in the corner. A sword with a red handle was mounted on the wall behind the desk.

Most of the room was spotless, but as he walked towards the desk he saw that it was covered in loose sheets of paper. One of the drawers of the filing cabinet next to the desk had been left open.

"Hey!" Sokka called out. "I think I found something!"

After a few seconds, in which no one responded, Zuko appeared in the doorway.

"In here?" he asked. "Why would Katara and Toph come in here?"

"Beats me," Sokka shrugged. "Why? What even is this room?"

"It's my father's office," Zuko told him. "He used to spend hours in here on our vacations going over military documents. He never even let Azula come in here."

"Military documents?" Sokka glanced down at the scattered papers. "Is that what these are?"

"Probably."

Sokka picked up one of the sheets of paper. His eyes widened as he read what was on it.

"What?" Zuko asked. "What does it say?"

"That symbol," Sokka shoved the paper at him. "What does it mean?"

"I think...that's the symbol of the Southern Raiders," Zuko answered. "Why, do you recognize it?"

"I don't think I'll ever forget it."

Sokka crushed the paper in his hand and threw it onto the desk. He walked over and leaned against the door frame, staring out into the hallway.

Zuko picked up the piece of paper and unfurled it. When he read what was on it, his heart sank. It was a document detailing the raid on Sokka's village. His eyes fell on the last line, which he knew Sokka must have seen.

_Mission Status: Successful. Last Southern waterbender eliminated._

_His mother,_ Zuko thought.

"Sokka, I..."

"I know where Katara went," Sokka said, cutting him off.

"You do?"

"Well, I'm not sure _exactly_ where she went. But I know what she's doing," Sokka muttered, his tone a mixture of sadness and frustration. "She wants revenge on the Fire Nation soldier who killed our mother, and now she has all the information she needs to get it."

"Do you really think she would do that?" Zuko asked, walking towards him.

"I know she would," Sokka still had his back to Zuko. "We should tell the others."

He started to walk away, but Zuko grabbed his arm.

"Hey, look at me," Zuko said quietly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Zuko," Sokka pulled his arm away. "You don't have to worry about me, okay?"

Zuko frowned as he watched Sokka disappear down the dark hallway. He gathered the rest of the papers from the desk and followed him down the stairs.

"Did you find anything?" Aang asked the second he saw them.

"Yeah," Zuko held up the papers. "We think Katara and Toph might've gone to the Southern Fire Navy communication towers."

"Why would they go there?" Suki asked.

"Revenge," Sokka said bluntly. "On the Fire Nation soldier who killed our mother."

"What?" Aang bellowed. "That's it! I'm going to find them!"

He sprinted out the front door, causing everyone to go after him. He grabbed his staff, which was leaning against the porch railing, and opened it as soon as he stepped out onto the beach.

"Aang, stop!" Sokka shouted over the sound of the wind. "It's too dangerous to go by yourself!"

"I'm not letting Katara do something she'll regret for the rest of her life!" Aang shouted back. "Don't try and stop me!"

Without another word, Aang took off on a gust of wind. The others stood on the beach, watching helplessly.

Hours passed. Darkness fell over the island.

Neither Katara, Toph, or Aang returned that night.


	6. Chapter 6

_That night, Sokka dreamed of black snow._

In his dream, he and Katara were back in the Southern Water Tribe on the day of the raid. This time, though, they were older.

Sokka was standing inside his family's tent, watching in horror as the Fire Nation soldier began to attack his mother.

Katara was blasting water and ice at the guard, but it wasn't working. Sokka heard her scream for him to do something.

Something in his dream told him to try waterbending, so he threw his hands out in front of him with as much force as he could. Instead of water, a weak puff of fire expelled from his palms. The Fire Nation soldier laughed before turning on Katara and his mother.

The last thing Sokka saw was a flash of blinding, orange light.

He woke up screaming.

_"No!"_

Sokka sat bolt upright in bed. He was drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.

"What happened?" Zuko was yelling. He flicked his wrist and a small flame formed in his hand, lighting up the room. "Is someone here?"

Sokka didn't answer. He felt like he was going to throw up. He sprang up from his mattress and sprinted outside, past the balcony and onto the beach.

He stopped short and braced his hands on his knees, taking slow, deep breaths. He was busy trying not to vomit into the sand when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Sokka?" he could barely hear Zuko's voice over the ringing in his ears. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"Bad dream," Sokka rasped. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, you look terrific," Zuko said sarcastically.

"Just go back to bed, Zuko," Sokka grunted.

He wasn't as nauseous anymore, but he still felt dizzy. No dream had ever had this effect on him before. He slowly lowered himself to the ground. Zuko walked over and sat down next to him in the sand.

"Talk to me," Zuko whispered.

Sokka squeezed his eyes shut.

"I should've done something!" he blurted out after a few seconds.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked. "When?"

"During the raid."

"Is that what the dream was about?" Zuko tilted his head, scanning Sokka's face. "You were just a _kid_."

"I was older than Katara," Sokka answered miserably. "Older brothers are supposed to be the protectors."

"Sokka," Zuko said softly. "There's nothing you could've done."

"Maybe if..." Sokka hesitated. "Maybe if I could just fucking bend! Maybe then I could have done something."

Zuko didn't know how to respond.

"Is...is that what this is all about?" he asked finally.

Of course, Zuko was referring to the dream, and the screaming. But he was also referring to earlier, in his father's office, when Sokka had given him the cold shoulder. Zuko could see that he was hurting, but Sokka refused to let him in.

"What? No...I don't know," Sokka groaned. "In the dream, I could bend, but it was really weak."

He conveniently left out the fact that he could bend _fire_.

"So?" Zuko asked. "That was just a dream. It doesn't mean anything."

"You just don't get it," Sokka muttered. "Not that I expect you to."

"Get what?"

"Katara can waterbend, Toph can earthbend, and you have your firebending. Aang's the damn Avatar for crying out loud, and all I have is my stupid boomerang," Sokka vented.

"That never seemed to bother you before," Zuko pointed out.

Sokka sighed, pulling his knees into his chest.

"I just feel so _powerless_ when I'm around you guys."

"Well, you shouldn't," Zuko said firmly. "You're anything but powerless."

Sokka didn't seem convinced.

"Did you forget that you led an entire invasion force against the Fire Nation?" Zuko continued. "I mean, you took out two battlements with nothing but your sword and a few hand grenades."

Sokka lifted his head up off of his knees. "How did you...?"

"What do you think your father talked to me about for six hours while we were waiting to escape Boiling Rock?" Zuko smirked.

"Oh, _man_. Did he really?" Sokka groaned and put his hand over his face. "I barely even see the man for eight years and he still manages to embarrass me."

"Damn, that's harsh," Zuko teased.

"Yeah, well," Sokka laughed. "Sorry you had to listen to that."

"It's fine, I didn't mind. It's not like I had anything better to do," Zuko laughed. "He's really proud of you, y'know."

Sokka's eyes lit up.

"I..." he stuttered. "I just did what anyone would've done."

"Well, I think it was pretty amazing."

Sokka looked up and saw Zuko staring out at the ocean. Zuko glanced at him, their eyes meeting briefly. Sokka smiled, turning away so that Zuko wouldn't see the blush that had started to creep up his neck. He began running his fingers through the sand, trying to give himself something else to pay attention to. They sat in silence for several seconds, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore.

"What does it feel like?" Sokka asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Firebending."

"It's..." Zuko paused. "It's hard to explain."

"Oh."

More silence.

"But, I could try and show you."

Sokka looked up. "How?"

Zuko pushed himself up off of the ground.

"Come with me," he said, offering Sokka his hand.

Sokka seemed hesitant all of a sudden.

"Maybe we should just go back inside," he said slowly. "Aren't you tired?"

"Sokka, no offense, but that is the lamest thing I've ever heard you say."

Sokka looked up at Zuko, who had a proud smirk plastered on his face.

"That's...honestly fair," Sokka said, grinning.

Zuko offered him his hand again. This time, Sokka took it, letting Zuko pull him to his feet. Together, they made their way down the beach, stopping as soon as they reached the edge of the water.

"Turn around and face those rocks," Zuko instructed, pointing over Sokka's shoulder.

"Why?" Sokka laughed. "What are you doing?"

"You wanna know what firebending feels like, right?"

"I mean...yeah..."

"Well, I'm gonna show you," Zuko said, matter-of-factly.

"Is this something they teach you in firebending preschool?" Sokka joked.

"Shut up," Zuko laughed. "Just turn around!"

"Yes, sensei," Sokka turned.

Zuko moved forward and stood directly behind him. He brought his left hand up and rested it on Sokka's hip, so lightly that he almost couldn't feel it. Almost. Sokka felt his breath hitch as Zuko gently guided his hips so that they were square with the rocks.

"Here," Zuko mumbled into his ear. "Try to stand with your feet shoulder width apart."

"Like...um, like this?"

"Yeah, perfect."

Zuko snaked his arm around Sokka's waist and took hold of his right hand. For some reason, Sokka's skin felt electric wherever Zuko touched it.

"Now hold your arm out in front of you, like this," Zuko was saying. "And put your hand on the back of mine."

"Okay," Sokka's voice came out as a whisper.

He felt Zuko's warm breath on his neck.

"Ready?"

Sokka nodded, not even sure what he was supposed to be ready for. Seconds later, a blaze of fire shot out from Zuko's palm, scorching the rocks in front of them.

The flames illuminated Sokka's face. Heat spread from Zuko's body to his, surging through his chest and limbs. He felt a burning sensation in his hand, but there was no pain.

"Woah," Sokka breathed. "This is insane!"

Over the roar of the fire, he heard Zuko laugh. The sound sent a warmth through his chest that had nothing to do with firebending.

"Here, watch this."

Zuko leaned forward, his chest pressing against Sokka's back. The flames billowed outward until they formed a giant cloud of steam.

Sokka had never felt anything like it before. It almost felt like the flames were coming from his own hand, as if he and Zuko's bodies were connected somehow.

Eventually, the flames died out, but Sokka continued to stare at the rocks in awe. A grin spread across his face, and he looked over his shoulder at Zuko to see his reaction.

But Zuko was looking at him.

Sokka's grin faded slowly as as they locked eyes. He turned around the rest of the way, paying attention to the way Zuko kept his hand against his waist. He felt his calloused hand slide across his lower back before coming to rest again on his right hip.

Sokka's mind flashed back to the cooler at the Boiling Rock, to Zuko's prison cell. Back to every other time he had been this close to him. He had tried to push this feeling down, to ignore it, but it had only gotten stronger, to the point where he almost forgot to breathe. In that moment, Zuko took over all of his senses.

He smelled like jasmine and something minty. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and husky.

"I forgot to tell you to put your hair up," without thinking, Zuko reached out and touched a strand of Sokka's hair that hung down near his face. "In case the flames got too close."

"Guess I got lucky," Sokka said quietly.

Zuko hesitated for a moment. Sokka opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no words came out. He saw Zuko glance down at his lips. The way they drifted towards each other was almost magnetic.

"Yeah," Zuko breathed.

He brushed Sokka's hair out of his face, connecting their lips at the same time. Sokka inhaled sharply as Zuko's fingers grazed his neck on the way down. He brought his hand up instinctively, placing it on Zuko's chest to steady himself.

Zuko's lips were burning hot against Sokka's. Sokka felt his heart hammer against his ribcage. His mind was racing, a small voice telling him to stop, to pull away. He ignored it, kissing Zuko back softly.

Zuko ran his thumb along Sokka's chin as he kissed him. Sokka felt around blindly with his other hand until he found the hem of Zuko's robe. A small, strangled sound escaped Zuko's throat as Sokka closed his fingers around the loose fabric, tugging him slightly closer. The kiss was slow and gentle, as if Zuko was afraid he might break him.

Sokka wasn't sure how long it lasted. It felt like forever and a second at the same time.

"Sokka? Zuko? Are you guys out here?"

Suddenly, a voice ripped them both out of their trance.

Zuko pulled away first, taking several steps backward. Sokka immediately dropped his gaze to the ground and coughed. It was early morning now, and pale sunlight was beginning to show against an indigo horizon.

"Um," Zuko cleared his throat loudly. "Yeah, over here."

Suki appeared from behind the rocks.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, giving them both a once-over. "Rough night, Sokka? You look like Appa ran you over."

"Thanks," Sokka mumbled sarcastically. "You too."

Suki rolled her eyes. "I was looking everywhere for you guys, Katara and Toph are back!"

"What?" Sokka and Zuko said in unison.

"They just landed," Suki continued. "Come on, they're in the backyard!"

Suki began to walk away, but Sokka felt like he was standing in quicksand. His throat was dry, his heart still pounding in his ears. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blur of red that caused him to look up.

He found himself staring at Zuko's back as he followed Suki towards the house, not even glancing back once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello to whoever reads this hope you enjoy and sorry for that chapter ending, i promise there’s only tiny bit more angst left. also i’m transferring all of this over from wattpad so hopefully there’s no mistakes but thx for reading :)


	7. Chapter 7

_"What do you mean Aang's not here?"_

Katara was sitting on the steps of the back porch, staring at Ty Lee in shock. Sokka assumed that Ty Lee had just broken the news about the Avatar's second big disappearance.

Katara's hair was out of it's usual braid and had been thrown into a frizzy, low ponytail. She was playing with her hands nervously, a habit she'd had since she and Sokka were kids. Appa was asleep in the sand a few feet away. Toph, who didn't look half as concerned as Katara, was laying in the fur of one of his legs, her arms stretched out behind her head.

"We were hoping he was with you," Suki said as she approached Katara, followed closely by Zuko. Sokka trailed a few feet behind them.

"What?" Katara asked. "Why would he be with us?"

"He went looking for you," Zuko explained. "He left here yesterday on his glider."

" _Spirits_ ," Katara cursed. "This is all my fault."

She put her head in her hands. Zuko walked over and sat down next to her on the steps, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "We'll find him."

"Maybe he's not even lost," Toph piped up. "I bet Twinkle Toes is just off frolicking in the Spirit World."

"Yeah," Zuko agreed. "And whenever he gets back, I'm sure he'll be glad to know that you're safe."

Sokka couldn't take it anymore. He'd been standing on the outskirts of the yard, separate from the group, but his anger propelled him towards his sister. When he spoke, he couldn't keep the acid out of his tone.

"So, what did you do to him?"

Katara's head snapped up. For the first time, she looked almost afraid of her older brother.

"What are you talking about?" she asked warily.

"Don't play dumb, Katara," Sokka continued angrily. "We found the documents."

Katara's eyes widened.

"Sokka, I didn't—"

"Y'know, have you ever even stopped to consider that she was my mother, too?" Sokka cut her off. "You don't see me hunting down elderly Fire Nation soldiers!"

Sokka could feel everyone's eyes on him, but he didn't care. An uncomfortable silence fell over the group. He kept his glare trained on his sister, partially because he couldn't bring himself to look at Zuko, who was still sitting next to her. Katara opened her mouth to respond, then clamped it shut.

"Relax, Sokka," Toph said. "General Yon Rha still has the same amount of heads as we found him with."

"Yon _who?_ " Sokka spat. "Actually, nevermind. I don't give a shit."

He huffed angrily and turned on his heel, storming past Suki and Ty Lee. He stopped in front of Appa and stared down at Toph.

"Get up," he ordered her.

"I didn't hear a please," Toph smirked.

"That's because I didn't say it," Sokka snapped. "Now get off of Appa, I need him."

"For what?"

"I'm gonna try and find Aang," Sokka said as if it were obvious. "Sozin's comet is gonna be here in less than a week, and Firelord Ozai isn't gonna defeat himself!"

"Is that all you care about?" Katara shouted, standing up. "Are you even concerned about Aang's safety at all?"

"You're one to talk," Sokka scoffed.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Did you really think that he wouldn't go after you?" Sokka turned to look at her. "Come on, Katara, we both know Aang better than that."

Katara fell silent again. Deciding that he had won the argument, Sokka climbed up and positioned himself in Appa's saddle. He gripped the reins so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"Woah, slow down, Sugar Queen," Toph said as she felt his feet leave the ground. "Where are you even gonna go?"

"I don't know," Sokka snapped. "But we can't just sit around here!"

"Well you can't just fly aimlessly around this entire island," Toph retorted.

"I'm with Toph," Suki announced. "We need a plan."

"Of course you are," Sokka muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Suki challenged.

"I said—"

"Guys, please stop fighting!" Ty Lee squeaked from the porch.

"Yeah, we have a real problem here," Zuko added, standing up.

"What should we do?" Katara asked.

She was looking directly at Zuko and Ty Lee. In fact, everyone except Sokka was staring at the two Fire Nation teenagers.

"I don't know," Zuko admitted.

"Why are you all looking at us?" Ty Lee asked nervously.

"Well, you guys are kinda the experts on tracking Aang," Katara pointed out.

"Yeah," Toph agreed. "If anyone's got experience hunting the Avatar, it's you two."

"Um, I'd just like to say that Azula did most of the tracking," Ty Lee said quietly. "I just did some flips and stuff."

Zuko looked at her, then at the rest of the group. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sokka sitting in Appa's saddle, staring at the ground.

The events of the night before flashed across his mind. He shut his eyes, blocking them out.

The comet was only three days away. Zuko didn't even want to imagine the consequences if Aang wasn't there to face his father.

There was no other option. They had to find him. Somehow, the duty had fallen upon Zuko's shoulders.

He sighed and opened his eyes.

"Everybody get on Appa."

____________________

_"Appa! Up!"_

Zuko was sitting in Appa's saddle, flicking the reins upwards. Everybody else sat behind him in uncomfortable silence as he attempted to get the bison into the air.

"Up!" Zuko repeated, louder this time.

"You gotta...uh," Katara made a face. "You gotta say it."

"Do I really?" Zuko grimaced. "I thought Aang just liked saying it."

"Um, no," Katara said slowly. "Appa won't fly unless you say it. Why would Aang make that up?"

"I don't know," Zuko snapped. "Maybe he thought it was funny or something?"

"Just _say it_ , Hothead!" Toph shouted impatiently.

Zuko sighed.

"Yip, yip!"

Appa grunted. With a swish of his tail, his large body began slowly lifting off the ground. Within minutes, they were flying among the clouds.

To say that the ride was awkward would have been an understatement.

Zuko trained his eyes forward as he steered them through the air. Katara leaned towards Appa's head, bouncing her leg anxiously. Sokka was sitting as far away from the front of the saddle as possible, turning his boomerang over and over in his hands.

For several minutes, the only sound was the howling of the wind.

"So," Suki said in an attempt to break the silence. "The mountains look really pretty from up here, don't they?"

Nobody answered her.

"Well, _I_ think they look beautiful," Toph said after a few seconds.

"Thank you, Toph," Suki said sarcastically.

"No problem," Toph replied.

"Wait," Katara said suddenly. "Why are we heading towards the Earth Kingdom?"

"We are?" Toph asked. "Not to tell you how to do your job, Zuko, but there's no way Aang's there."

Zuko glanced over his shoulder at them.

"Just trust me."

After what seemed like forever, they finally landed in a small, dark clearing in the forest. A few yards away stood a dingy, grey building with a straw roof that looked as if it might cave in at any second.

"Where are we?" Toph asked as she slid off of Appa's back.

"Some sketchy Earth Kingdom tavern," Sokka answered.

"Why?" Toph asked. "So we can drink away our sorrows about Aang?"

"I could go for a nice pint of cactus juice right about now," Sokka muttered.

Toph laughed as they began walking towards the tavern. Zuko, who had ignored Toph's sarcasm, was ahead of everyone, already pushing the door open.

"And you brought us here why?" Katara called out from behind him.

They finally caught up with him, all crowding in the small doorway. Zuko was pointing at someone in the center of the room.

Ty Lee gasped.

"Mai?"

Sure enough, the raven-haired Fire Nation girl was sitting at one of the tables, sipping her drink as she scanned the room. Suddenly, a man in tattered clothes ran up to her and snatched the bag out of her hands. She slowly got to her feet, looking almost bored.

She reached into her sleeve and pulled out two small blades. In one swift motion she aimed them at the thief. They punctured his shirt on both sides, pinning him to the wall.

Zuko and the others watched as she strolled over to him and neatly plucked her bag out of his hands.

"I'll take that," her voice had a slight rasp to it, the faintest hint of a smirk on her lips.

Next to her, Toph felt Ty Lee's heart rate increase.

"Are you serious?" Katara hissed. "Your genius solution is Mai?"

"I told you to trust me, okay?" Zuko answered under his breath. "Just give me a minute."

He began making his way across the room towards Mai. The others quietly slipped away, finding a table in a dimly lit corner of the tavern.

"Does that fire-breathing moron really think that Mai is gonna help us?" Toph whispered as they sat down.

"I know," Katara hissed. "We shouldn't even be here. She'll probably just rat us out to Azula."

"No," Ty Lee was staring down at the table. "She won't."

"What do you mean?" Suki asked her, an expression of concern crossing her face.

"Mai has no reason to tell Azula anything anymore," Ty Lee glanced up. "All I'm saying is that you guys have nothing to worry about."

"That's good enough for me," Sokka said. "I need a drink."

"You need a _what?_ " Katara exclaimed.

Ignoring her, Sokka got up and made his way over to the bar. He plopped down onto one of the stools.

"One bottle of your finest cactus juice, please," he held up one finger to the man behind the bar, who just stared at him.

Suddenly, Toph appeared beside him. She reached into her pocket and slammed a handful of gold coins down onto the bar.

"Just give him a pint of your most expensive beer."

The man eyed Sokka for a moment before snatching the coins off of the bar. He poured some pale yellow liquid into a mug and slid it over to him.

Without hesitating, Sokka lifted the glass and tipped it back. The liquid burned his throat on the way down, sending a warm feeling through his chest and stomach. It immediately reminded him of the heat that had surged through his body when Zuko had showed him firebending. He thought about the feeling of his hands on his waist, his fingers in Sokka's hair, the warmth of Zuko's lips on his...

Sokka slammed back the rest of his beer and ordered another. It didn't take long for the alcohol to take effect; Sokka wasn't exactly a casual drinker. By the time Zuko returned with Mai at his side, he was starting to see double.

With Mai leading the group, they walked outside towards the clearing where they'd left Appa.

"So, bounty hunting, huh?" Zuko was saying to Mai. "How's that working out for you?"

"Beats being one of your sister's little minions," Mai answered bluntly.

"I don't doubt it," Zuko said. "I think Ty Lee would agree with you."

Mai didn't respond.

"What happened with you two, anyways?" Zuko continued.

"She saved my ass, that's what happened," Mai said.

"What?" Zuko wondered why Ty Lee hadn't told him anything about this. "Then why are you acting like you want nothing to do with her?"

"I'm not!" Mai stopped walking. "Look, it's complicated, and—wait, why am I telling you this?"

Zuko's response was drowned out by a loud voice from behind them.

"Woah, is that a badger mole?" Sokka slurred, pointing up ahead.

"Hey, chill out!" Toph hissed, elbowing him in the side. "I knew I shouldn't have bought you that beer."

"You bought him a—?" Katara whirled around and glared at Toph. "I thought he was joking when he said he was getting a drink!"

"How did you even hear that?” Toph asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

"I should honestly kill you both," Katara said, turning back around. "Sokka, get over here!"

"What?" Sokka whined. "I just wanna say hi! What's it's name?"

"Uh, Nyla," Mai said.

Sokka stumbled towards the large creature, knocking into both Mai and Zuko's shoulders. He scratched Nyla's snout, giggling as she nuzzled him with her pink nose.

"Hi, Nyla," Sokka cooed. "That tickles!"

"Sokka, are you..." Zuko paused. "Drunk?"

"Hey," Sokka giggled, pointing at Zuko. "That's the first time you've talked to me all day!"

Zuko's face turned red. Mai raised her eyebrow at him.

"Okay," Mai said slowly. "So, who's got something with Aang's scent on it?"

"I brought one of his shawls!" Katara exclaimed.

She climbed up and grabbed a pile of orange fabric from Appa's saddle. She then gave the shawl to Mai, who held it under Nyla's nose for a few seconds.

"Hey, if you have that..." Sokka's eyes widened. "Does that mean that Aang is naked?"

"Sokka, please stop talking," Toph groaned, rubbing her temple.

Nyla began scampering around the clearing, sniffing the ground. After a minute, she covered her head with her paws and whimpered.

"What does that mean?" Katara asked.

"It means that Nyla can't locate his scent," Mai answered. "Which, technically, means that he doesn't exist."

Everyone stared at her in horror and confusion.

"Nuh-uh," Sokka hiccuped. "If Aang doesn't exist, then who's that little bald kid I've been following around the whole world?"

"Am I supposed to answer that?" Mai asked, looking over Sokka's shoulder at Zuko.

"No," Zuko grabbed Sokka's upper arms, steadying him. "You need to sit down, okay?"

"You don't mean..." Katara couldn't bring herself to say it. "Aang's not...he can't be...dead?"

"No," Mai said. "If he was dead, Nyla would've been able to find him."

"Wait, I have another idea," Zuko announced. "There's only one other person in this world who can help us face the Firelord. I'll be right back."

Mai climbed up into Nyla's saddle, watching as Zuko disappeared on the other side of Appa. He returned moments later, holding a sandal between two fingers.

"Spirits!" Toph cursed, her hand flying to her nose. "What is that smell?"

Nyla lunged forward and began sniffing the sandal.

"Alright, let's go," Mai pulled on Nyla's reins, and the giant creature took off into the forest.

"Oh, okay, we're going now," Suki blinked.

Zuko and the others scrambled to get on top of Appa. Zuko had to hoist a drunk Sokka up while Suki and Katara each grabbed one arm and yanked him into the saddle.

Eventually, Nyla and Mai led them to the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. By that time, hours had passed and the sun was beginning to set on the horizon. Nyla began scratching at the rocks with her claws.

"Iroh is somewhere past the wall," Mai called over her shoulder.

Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound erupted from the ground. Within seconds, a ring of fire had surrounded them. Appa let out a low growl and Nyla reared onto her back legs in fear.

"Katara," Sokka was laying on his back in Appa's saddle, pointing up at the rocks. "Am I just really drunk, or is that Bumi?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me 🤝 ty lee  
>  simping for mai
> 
> anyways more actual zukka content coming soon, i kinda hate writing filler chapters so i tried to make them funny but alas


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